The present invention relates to a transmission mechanism which can be driven by a rotary device to impart alternating vertical movements to an ornament.
A variety of music boxes are known and have appeared on the market. These music boxes commonly use a transmission mechanism coupled to the driving mechanism thereof to turn an ornament. U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,828 discloses an ornamental display assembly which comprises a plurality of ornaments supported on a base within which a wind-up music box mechanism is mounted for imparting rotational movement to a first ornament in driving engagement with a wind-up shaft of the mechanism, and alternating vertical movements to second and third ornaments supported on taper rods engaged by a pair or offset eccentric cam members mounted on a drive shaft driven by the mechanism. U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,944 discloses a transmission mechanism for a music box ornament according to which the power output of the music box is transmitted to an ornament supported thereon, wherein the output shaft of the music box rotates an eccentric stub that is engaged within a slide link supported for vertical movement on a pair of guide rods. The ornament is supported by a tappet rod having a lower end secured to either the slide link or the drive stub, so that operation of the music box will impart the desired movement to the ornament.